The goal of this study is to assess the use of criteria as a means of deciding who might be priority recipients of an antiviral stockpile, aimed specifically at prevention, during an influenza pandemic. It is understood that a public antiviral stockpile for prevention is not available at this time. Thus one of the objectives of this research is to provide guidance to decision-makers in terms of feedback from healthcare workers on the issue of whether it is necessary to acquire such a stockpile and, if so, for whom. The specific perspectives of two groups of front-line healthcare workers are considered. One group consists of healthcare workers from Toronto hospitals who have experienced the 2003 SARS outbreak. The other group consists of healthcare workers from hospitals in Montreal who did not experience the SARS outbreak. The two groups analyses are based on verbal comments and their responses to a questionnaire designed to evaluate how participants with different background experiences will view and rank the proposed criteria.